When myself Jaye (producer) and Jonah (director) decided to option one of the Impact Scripts we instantly fell in love with Silent Ruin written by Chris Vanderhorst. We were impressed by the way it was written, and thought it quite unique that the end of the world was played out using different sounds.
The two characters in the screenplay are deaf, and use sign language. We did not want to employ hearing actors who could just be taught the signs. To make the story really live we needed deaf actors, so the task began to find two deaf actors to play Viviana and Marcus.
I knew of a theatre company in Cardiff who works with sensory impaired actors – Taking Flight Theatre Company
So I began researching actors who worked for them and got in touch with Stephanie Back who recommended Roger Hudson. I sent them both the script and they were excited to come on board.
The next big task, which proved the most difficult, was to secure a BSL (British Sign Language Interpreter) without an interpreter we would not be able to make the film.
I initially contacted several interpreters independently, but none of them responded to my emails so I went back to Taking Flight Theatre, this time I spoke to the founder and artistic director Elise Davison, who told me she was delighted two of her actors were going to be involved in the Impact50 Initiative. She told me to leave it with her, and within two hours I had a name of Lianne Lusty, who came on board as our interpreter, an invaluable member of our crew.
Filming
The set was Jonah’s living room.
DOP Matt Nomme and Soundman AJ Swift worked with us on our two other films. We had three runners – Janet Parry, Collette Harrington and Hayley Lau, all there to help shake the set for the final moments of the film.
With Lianne acting as interpreter between Jonah Stephanie and Roger, the day ran very smoothly; everything was completed within six hours. Post production is next with all the sounds imagined by our characters to be inserted into the film.
2JayProduction
